The City of Colorado Springs will host a neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, January 15 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. in an effort to increase wildfire awareness and emergency preparedness in the community. The meeting will take place in the auditorium at Cheyenne Mountain High School (1200 Cresta Road). Fire Chief Rich Brown, Fire Marshal Bret Lacey, and Office of Emergency Management Manager Bret Waters will discuss emergency preparedness, evacuation planning and wildfire mitigation.

In the summer of 2012, Colorado Springs experienced the most destructive wildfire in the city’s history. The Waldo Canyon Fire devastated the northwest part of the community, taking two lives and destroying 347 homes.

“I think there is a sense in our community that we have now been through the worst,” says Fire Chief Rich Brown. “As devastating as the Waldo Canyon Fire was, and still is to those who were impacted, we still have a huge part of this city that is at extremely high risk. We are stepping up our education efforts to provide residents with the information and resources they need to be safe and act swiftly in the event of another fire.”

In addition to attending the neighborhood meeting, residents are encouraged to download the City’s Emergency Preparedness and Safety Guide for information on how to prepare for wildfires and all types of emergencies, and visit the Wildfire Mitigation page on SpringsGov.com for more information about reducing wildfire risk.